


Braiding Hair 101

by gaifieri



Category: Naruto
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-26
Updated: 2015-01-26
Packaged: 2018-03-09 03:52:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 767
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3235268
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gaifieri/pseuds/gaifieri
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sai offers to braid Lee's hair. He's not very good at it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Braiding Hair 101

**Author's Note:**

> written for sai week/lee week/sailee week back in like...november. thought i'd finally put it up on ao3

"Lee, this is — this isn’t working."

Lee turned his head, unaware of how close Sai’s face was. Their noses bumped and they both moved back quickly, mumbling apologies to one another. Eager to move on from a somewhat awkward moment, Lee took the strands of hair from Sai’s hands, turning to face him and holding his hands between the two of them.

"Just like this. Divide the hair into thirds, and then you fold them over each other. Watch."

He moved his hands in demonstration and Sai watched, but the lines of confusion across his brow were still there.

"…I’ll try it again."

Lee nodded and turned around. It had been approximately one hour since Lee had made a comment about finding it hard to braid his own hair and Sai immediately offered to take up the task. Although Sai was having a hard time, he hadn’t given up yet. Diligence was something Lee greatly admired in others and the feeling of someone’s hands running through your hair was such a soothing feeling, but this was…somehow embarrassing, Lee felt. He appreciated what Sai was trying to do for him, but having Sai’s fingers in his hair for so long, combing through and brushing against his scalp, his neck, resting on his shoulder whenever he paused to say something, was…

His thought process was making his face feel hot. His face had been feeling hot a lot around Sai lately. Being around Sai gave him a feeling similar to what he felt after a vigorous round of training with Gai-sensei. It felt like the euphoria one got after finishing a 300-lap around Konoha on their hands. it felt good.

And _embarrassing_.

It wasn’t this way when Tenten braided his hair. she would sit for hours, brushing through his hair and trying out new braiding techniques. Neither of them had gotten so much as a trim since the war ended. They braided each others’ hair and laughed and there was no embarrassment. With Tenten, it was simple.

Sai’s fingertips brushed against his neck and that strange feeling pressed against his chest.

"I think I might have the hang of it," Sai said. Lee craned his neck around to see the braid Sai held in front of him. he _had_ gotten the hang of it. It was a little loose, but with some more practice, Sai’s skill level would soon be high enough to rival Tenten’s.

"Excellent work, Sai!" lee beamed at Sai, and Sai smiled back just as warmly. _He has such a nice smile_ , Lee thought. His eyes closed briefly as his smile widened so he didn’t see Sai’s lips closing in on him.

He felt something smooth against his lips, and opened his eyes, and Sai. Was right. There.

After a few moments of their lips touching, Sai pulled away, his cheeks looking a touch rosier than they had been before. His eyes stayed locked onto the braid still in his hands. Lee’s eyes were transfixed by the lips that had just been pressed against. His. His own lips. Sai had.

 _Kissed_ him.

"I hope…" Sai started. "Naruto told me…when you’re with the person you like the most, and they make you very happy, you should…do that. I wasn’t…"

Lee’s eyes followed Sai’s gaze down to the braid between them, and stayed fixed there, too anxious to move anywhere else. His face was very hot. His cheeks were definitely several shades darker than usual.

"I didn’t…mind it."

"Oh."

In the few moments of silence that followed, Lee decided that yes, he definitely knew what this pressure in his chest was a symptom of.

"May I, um…" Sai held his hands up a little higher and looked back up at Lee, who was still too embarrassed to look back at him. "May I continue to practice braiding your hair?"

Lee nodded and Sai smiled warmly; it was unlike any smile Lee had seen him wear before. Very small, but very powerful. He turned around, letting Sai continue with his training.

As someone who had been working hard to match up to his comrades all his life, Lee understood the importance of positive encouragement and patience, especially from said comrades. He wanted to be very patient with Sai and encourage him to take his time, but on the other hand, if that was how Sai celebrated while learning a new skill, Lee hoped that he had many more successful tries, and very soon. Because if the pressure in lee’s chest was anything to go by, he wanted very much for Sai to do that again.


End file.
